Statue cover-up: 'EC should object to SP cycle, BJP lotus'

'Decision of covering statues violates Constitution'

The Bahujan Samaj Party on Thursday claimed that the Election Commission's decision to cover statues of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and her party symbol elephant is one-sided and unjustified and a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution.

BSP General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra said that due to the decision taken on the memoranda of the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, Dalits and backward classes were feeling cheated.

"The decision is a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, which provides right of equality. Similar decisions should be taken against other parties also," he said in a letter to the EC.

'Dalits and backward classes feeling cheated'

"A number of BSP workers and supporters wanted to come out on roads to protest the EC decision but BSP supreme Mayawati has given them strict orders to maintain law and order so that the election process does not get affected," Mishra pointed out.

The BSP had expected that the EC would hold free and fair elections but its decision had demoralised the party, Mishra said.

"The statues installed in parks and memorials are in a welcoming position with trunks in the air unlike the BSP symbol and so did not violate the model code of conduct," he claimed adding that statues of the elephant are installed in a number of temples and government buildings in others states too.